Scrubbing-machine



F. A. ESPELAND. I

SCRUBBING- M ACHINE. Arucmon man ocnzs. 1920.

Patented Oct. 11, 1921.

TENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN A. ESPELAND, OF OAKES, NORTH DAKOTA.

SCRUBBIN G-M ACHIN E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 11, 1921. f

Application led October 29, 1926. Serial No. 420,345.

`To all w/zom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN A. Espn- LAND, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Oakes, in the county of Dickey and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Scrubbing-Machines, of which the followin@ is a specification.

y present invention relates to improvements in scrubbing machines designed especially for use in scrubbing floors, or other surfaces, and is of that type embodying a self contained reservoir1 or tank from which water is obtained and carried to the floor to be scrubbed by successively dipping wipers, revolving with a rotor which latter is operated from traction wheels of the machine. The machine is hand operated in manner somewhat similar to carpet sweepers of this type, but it will be understood that power devices may be applied to the machine as substitutes for the hand operating means.

The invention contemplates certain novel features of construction in this class of scrubbing machines especially that of the reservoir which is made up of attached sections rendering facile access to thev interior of the reservoir or casing in order that the rotor may be removed and replaced with convenience and despatch. The invention further consists n certain details of construction of the interior of the water tank or reservoir to insure proper wetting of the wipers and assure the prevention of undue splashing and waste of water inv connection with the wipers, and further meritorious features will be hereinafter pointed out and claimed in addition to those enumerated.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined and arranged aocording tothe best mode I have thusl far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a hand operated scrubbing machine involving my invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, vertical, sectional view through the reservoir and inclosed parts.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view o f one of the buckets or receptacles, showing its attached wiper.

Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of the actuating mechanism and connections for the rotor.

side anges Fig. 5 is a detail view partly in elevation showing the handle and frame construction, for adjustably supporting the actuating parts of the machine.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the gage device for indicating the water level in the reservoir.

In the preferred form of the invention as shown in the drawings, the dat casing or reservoir is of size and shape to be readily pushed across a floor, and under some pieces of furniture or household articles, the tank being made up of two sections 1 and 1aL and water tight to contain water that may be supplied through the top inlet 2. The respective sections l and 1*"L are provided with 8 and 4, extending vertically at the outer sides thereof, and between the flanges a packingy strip 5 may be interposed to make a water tight joint, and bolts 6 are passed through the flanges to rigidly hold the two sections of the tank or casing together. The rear section is provided with a somewhat cylindrical formation or rounded end, while the rectangular reservoir or section 1 is provided with a transversely extending baffle plate 7 arranged at an incline and terminating near the top and bottom of the reservoir, to prevent or restrict the movement of the contained water, as a. whole.

A second partition, as 8 extends transversely of the reservoir, terminating near the bottom of the reservoir. The end wall 9 of the reservoir, which separates the interior of the two sections terminates near the top of the reservoir, in an inclined or obliquely arranged ledge 10, which projects into the section 1a and provides a lip for an open throat portion 11 which affords communication between the two sections, at the top of the reservoir. Y

At the rear of the machine, the rounded end of the section la is provided with a rubbing device 12, preferably a piece of sheet rubber extending across the width of the machine at the rear of an opening 13 in the section la, and a metallic spring clamping device l1 is utilized to secure this rubber strip to the section wall.

The whole machine is supported on the pairs of wheels 15 and 16, the former at the front of the reservoir, and the latter at the rear of the machine and forming the traction or operating wheels for the actuating parts of the machine.

The traction wheels 16 are revoluble with their shaft 17, which is journaled in a U- shape frame 18 that is pivoted on the oper-` ating shaft 19 of the machine, and the shaft 19 is journaled in the side walls of the casing section 1a. rlhe shaft 19 is located in the axial center of the rounded section 1al and extends transversely of the machine, projecting` through the side walls thereof and having an additional support in the bracket 2() on the outside of the section 1n as in Fig. 1.

The side arms of the frame 18 in which the shaft 17 is journaled are pivoted on the shaft 19. These pivoted armsare held or( sustained in adjusted position with'relation to the reservoir by means of a diagonal link 21 slotted at 22 to receive the bolt 23 at the upper end of a fixed bracket 211 attached to one side of the section 1a. The lower end of this adjusting link is pivoted at to the Yframe 18, and it will be apparent that the slotted link may be moved through its Y slotted connection at 23 in order that the aoV altitude of therear end of the machine may be adjusted with relation to the floor or'surface to be scrubbed. j

Within the section laand above the opening 13 therein is a rotor, includingrin its,

construction a pair of iiat, end vdisks or heads 26 between which are supported aV series of wipers 27, the heads being joined by a central tubular hub 28 fixed to revolve with the shaft 19. The rotor is fashioned to yform'iive buckets, each indicated as a whole by the numeral 28.` Each bucket or receptacle comprises a flat blade or plate 29 having a curved flange 30y extending the Y full length of the plate and attached to the hub28. At its endseach plate has iianges 31 that are riveted or bolted to the respective heads 26 of the rotor, and each wiper 27 is attached to the inner side of its bucket by means of a Wood cleat as 32. rilhe rotor is thus equipped with five buckets or receptacles each of which is formed between thel overhanging tween the partition the ledge into 4the space be- 8 and Ifront wall 9 yof the tank. The movement of the machine, as it is manipulated by the operator, causes the water to splash about in the tank and within the space between the partition 8 and wall 9, thus insuring that the wiper as it flops over the ledge 10 will be supplied with water, and the bucket will also receive `water splashed through the throat or opening 11. The wipers thus gather water for wetting and washingthe floors as the rotor revolves, and the rubber 12, which is in contact with the iioor serves as a drying rubber.

The rotor is revolved fromthe shaft 17 Y through the train of gears 34, 35, 86,' the former on shaft 17, the latter on shaft 19, and the intermediate wheel 35 being -an idler between the driving and driven gears or miens.

n the top of the tank a gage needle or indicator 37 is provided to show thevquan tity of water in the tank, the needlefbeing revoluble with a worm screw 38 suitably supported and journaled within the/tank and actuated from a toothed quadrant l39, which ispivoted in thetank andihas a buoyant float Ll() suspended therefrom and supported upon the surface of the water 'in the reservoir. The outlet 4:1 at the side of the tank orreservoir, is located'nearthe vbottom thereof and spring pressed to closed position. VThis outlet may be opened for emptying the contents of the tank by bearing upon the pivoted pedal `112 located lat,

the side of the tank in convenient position for depression by the foot ofthe operator, and connected as'by Ya chain tothejoutletal Having thus fully describedmiy invention, what I claim is- The combination in a scrubbing machine Vof a casing havingV an open top end wall and a ledge thereon, a partition adjacent to said wall extending` from the top of the casing and terminating near the bottom thereof, a section attached to said casing having an open bottom, a. rotorjournaled in saidsection forming a series of buckets, -a'wiper attachedrat the -free edge of .each bucket adapted'to iiop over said ledge and pass through said Vopen bottom, and meansfor revolving the rotor.

ture.

In testimony whereofI affix my 'signa` 

